Elevator tower for blast-furnace structures



May 24 .J. KENNEDY Y ELEvAToR TowER FOR BLAST FURNACE STRUCTURES Filed Abril 4. 1925 sheets-Sheefi J lNvENToR m* m. f2

s sheets-sheet 2h J. KENNEDY ELEVATOR TOWER FOR BLAST FURNACE STRUCTURES Filed April 4. 1925 May 24, 1927.

INVENTOR J. KENNEDY May 24, 1927.

ELEVATOR TOWER FOR BLAST FURNACE STRUCTURES Filed April 4. 1925 INVENTOR Patented May 24, 1927.

JULIAN KENNEDY, OFKPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVAIA.

ELEvAToa Towiia non BLAST-annuncia: STRUCTURES.

Application filed April 4, 1925. Serial No. 20,753.

The present invention relates to elevator towers, and more particularly to elevator `towers for blast furnace'structures.

The elevator tower is made of tubular form and does not require external bracing except for the attachment of the tower, at itsv top, to the blast furnace structure. The tubular tower also provides protection for the workmen against the inclemencies of the weather, or againstl gases in case of explosions. The structure is also relatively cheap an enlarged scale,

to build.

In the drawings, which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention, K

Figure 1-isaside elevation of a port-ion of a blast furnace structure showing the elevator tower in combination therewith;

Figure 2 is a front elevation, partly broken away and on an enlarged scale, of

the installation shown in Figure v1;

Figure 3 isa transverse sectional'view on anenlarged scale along the'line `III-III of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view on and partly broken away, IV-IV of Figure 1;

along the line y t a transverse sectional view on Figure 5 is an enlarged scale, `along the lineV--V` of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional View along the line VI-VI of Figure 1, and

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale, on the line VII-#VII of Figure 6.

Thev elevator tower 2 is of tubular form, preferably of a circular cross section. The tower is built u of a number of rings or bands 3 and 3 ]oined together by rivets The riveted loints are preferably water and gas tightl and may be calked if necessary.

The tubular construction, and particularly the construction shown, which consists of the superposed circular rings, is inherently rigid and strong and there is no necessity for sup leinental bracing or sheathing to stiffent e tower structure.

The tower is supported against wind pressure by a suitable bracing connection with the blast furnace structure. In the illustrated construction the top of the tower isconnected with the upper end ofone of the hot stoves 5 by a bracing connection 6. The bracing connection 6 is in the form of a platform `made of plates and connected to the hot stoves and to the elevator tower. This connection, being formed of horizontalmotorroom 16 at the top of the ly disposed plates, rigidly resists the transverse stresses exerted by the twind pressure on the elevator tower, but will yield vertically to allow for the necessarydiiferences inv expansion of the furnace structure and the elevator tower under dierent temperature conditions.' It is found that the plate construction shown sufficientlyy flexible to take careof the differences ink expansion without the necessity of connections allowing lost motion.

lVhile'IV have shown the bracing connection for the elevator tower as connected to one of the hot blast stoves 5, it is to be understood that the elevator tower may have its bracing connection" with another part of the blast` furnacev structure, as, for example, to the furnace proper or to thestack.

Since the tower is firmly braced against wind pressure by its connection with the blast furnace structure, the lower end `of the tower need `not be braced against deflection, but may be simply set on any suitable support. In the drawings there is shown'a projecting foot vwhich serves as a supporting bearing for the bottom of the tower and ymay rest on 'any suitable foundation, suoli as a stone or cement foundation.

The tubular body ofthe tower is closed except for the doorB at the bottom ofthe` tower anda door 9 at the top of the tower.

The door S) opens on a platform or run-wayl0 which extends over the tops of the hot stoves `5. This platform 'also extends to the ytop of the blast furnace proper and to such other places in the structure to which access is desired.l The platform l() is formed Awith 'an extension 13 leading to a ladder tower 14 projecting from one side of the elevator `tower 2 by means of which access is provided to the landing 15 leading to the elevator tower. The mot-or room 16 has openings 17 and 19 through its Hoor for the cables leading to the top of the elevator cage 18v and to the counter-weight 20. It may be braced as desired to support the motors and other equipment and is preferably formed with a trap-door 21.

While the elevator cage 18 may be of any desired construction, I prefer to use a cage of substantially rectangular cross section having guides 22 at its diagonally opposite corners adapted to cooperate with railsV 23 supported on the inside of the elevator tower. The rails are preferably supported ice i by the braces, each comprising sections 24 and 25 riveted together and secured to the rails 23 and to the tubular tower structure. The counter-weight 20 slides in the space between one of the sides of the cage and the inside of the tower and is guided by rails 26 carrie-d by braces 27 secured to the inside of the tower.

The tubular tower not only serves as an etiicieut protection to the workmen against the weather and against gases in case of explosions, but is inherently strong and economical to build. -IVhilea tubular tower of various cross sections may be built, I prefer to build the tower as vshown of a number of superimposed circular plates or rings. These may be made of sufficientl gauge to furnish the necessary rigidity to the tower vstructure without the necessity of interior bracing so that the entire space within the tower is available for the cage and counterweights. The circular .plate construction is also relatively cheap to kfabricate and assemble. Since the tubular tower is, in itself, inherently strong and rigid lthere is no necessity for any intermediate bracing or connections to the ground. rIhe bracing connection near the top of the tower to the blast furnace structure is sufficient in itself to resist any wind vpressure to which the elevator tower may vbe subjected. This does away with' 'the necessity of guy-wires or other bracing` structural work which might interlfere with the operation or repair of the furnace. The b acing connection shownis simple but effective in resisting the lateral thrusts due to wind pressure, while at the same time permitting-thc vnecessary relative .vertical movement between the furnace structure and the. elevator tower.

The present invention is not limitedto its illustrated embodiment, but may be other wise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. The combination with a blast furnace structure, of an auxiliary vertical tubular elevator tower having a bracing connection with-the furnace and closed throughout its length and having openings at its bottom and top, and having a gas-excluding door for at least one of said Openings, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a blast furnace structure, of an auxiliary vertical tubular elevator tower having a bracing connection with the furnace and closed throughout its lengt-h and having a gas-excluding door at its bottom, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a blast furnace st-ructure, of an auxiliary vertical tubular ele 'ator tower having a bracing connection with the furnace structure and closed throughout its length and having gas-excluding doors at its top and bottom, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a blast furnace structure, of an auxiliary cylindrical vertical. tubular elevator tower, and a vertically yielding bracing connection between the top of the tower with one of the stoves, said tower being closed throughout its length and having gas-excluding doors at its top and bottom, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a: blast furnace structure, of an auxiliary cylindrical vertical tubular elevator tower loosely supported upon the ground and having avertically yielding bracing platform of plate construction connecting the top of the tower with one of the stoves, said tower being closed throughout its length and having gas-excluding doors at its top and bottoni, substantially as described.

6. The combination with ablast furnace structure, of an auxiliary vertical elevator tower of closed tubular plate construction having its lower end unbraced and havingr ay vertically yielding bracing connection between t-he upper.1')art of the, tower and the furnace,structure, substantially as described. 7. The combination with a blastI .furnace structure, of an auxiliary lvertical elevator tower of closed tubular plate construction having its lower end unbraced from the ground and having a `verticallyv yielding bracingplatform of plate construction connectingthe upper part of the tower with one ofthe stoves.

Intestimony whereof I have hereunto setmy hand.

. JULIAN KENNEDY. 

